A Night Out: A Reception at the State Department

What: Dubbed “The Secretary’s Reception for Donors to the Diplomatic Reception Rooms,” this two-hour cocktail party honored more than 200 donors who contributed more than $850,000 to conserving and maintaining the rooms where Condoleezza Rice and Dick Cheney meet with foreign officials.

Where: The Department of State

When: Friday, April 25, 6 to 8 PM

Who: Rice was the main attraction, hosting a receiving line on the way in to shake hands (and score us a great new Facebook profile picture). We were one table away from Attorney General Michael Mukasey and wife Susan, who looked sharp in a pinstripe suit and black-and-white patterned dress. Marcee Craighill, director of the diplomatic reception rooms, also joined the donors.

Scene: After a run-in with a Secret Service agent (despite the X-ray machine at the door and pack of guards in the lobby, she was worried we had somehow slipped security), we took it all in: antique couches and tables, cabinets of 18th-century china, a ballroom with eight glistening chandeliers and a balcony overlooking the Mall, and the nicest bathrooms we’ve ever been in. We sat through a ten-minute thank-you speech from Condi and mingled with guests wearing drab suits and skirts. On the elevator ride down, we caught a glimpse of one of the other floors—so business-like! so sterile!—and realized we truly had been in another world. Ratings:Boldface names: 4 (out of 5)Swankiness: 3 (out of 5)Food and drink: 3 (out of 5)Exclusivity: 5 (out of 5)